How fast can a Volkswagen go... if it only weighs 31.9 grams? What about 39.1g's?

Today was an exciting day. I always look forward to the first day of class. 
I look forward to the first day of school being a student almost as much as I look forward to the first day of school being the teacher. 
New faces, new names, new routines... changes...it can be scary, but I always find it magical. 
I am forever a student. I think great students are the greatest teachers, so I continue to strive to be a great student, so that I may also become a better teacher. I never want to remove myself so completely from learning that I no longer can empathize with my students' struggle to learn new things.

 Strugglers that are so incredibly audible there is no way that you couldn't at least be aware of them ...You know those kids? The students that say... "but I don't geeeeettt it!"before they even try...  or even worse... the terrible words.. "I can't.." I hate those two words the most...The best part is when they DO get it. I love that part.  Even better is when they are so excited because they realize they actually CAN! 

I digress... This evening in the (teacher that wants to teach) Science course, where I am a current learner, we had the opportunity to share some information about our lives, listen to some Journey, observe, ask questions, and get completely engrossed in a puzzle with no box, drop some  Hot Wheels down a ramp, and then talk about a project we would be presenting pretty soon, next Thursday to be exact. 
Most likely if you are reading this you know how I feel about presentations. I get an adrenaline rush, I love it and I am an actress at heart. Now wonder I was Drama Student of the Year, 1999, in Junior high, right?? Also if you're reading this you are either my husband, one of my closest friends, my mom, my current Professor (because we are supposed to blog for this class) or the Professor that changed the way I would think about myself, my writing, my strengths, life and learning forever, Dr. Reid, thank you.. you are amazing. I thank you all for reading my writing, rambling and thoughts, even if you are forced to. 
Onto the task at hand....

So we dropped some hot wheels down a ramp. Before my partner and I dropped the wheels the class discussed what we were curious about with these Wheels and the Ramp. What were we wondering? My partner and I wanted to know if the weight of the car would increase the speed. More exactly I wanted to know how far this little car would travel and if I could make a loop like a roller coaster, but there was no time for all of that... Well this  happened to be the Science and Engineering practice numero uno, asking questions. Could we conduct an experiment and find some answers, or at least some evidence that would lead us to believe something or other? Yes, in fact we could.  So then we made a plan. I typed up a plan on my iPad.. it went something like this.. build a ramp, weigh the tiny black Volkswagen (like the one below, expect WAY smaller), drop it from the ramp, measure the distance, measure the time. Add some weights. Do it again. So we did it. This plan and the action accompanying it go with the Science and Engineering practice numero tres, planning and carrying out investigations.

Next my partner and I talked about what we discovered. Pretty much nothing, because our tiny black VW was not being cooperative when we added a silver round thing to it, a washer(?) sure didn't look like it would wash anything, looked a little more like this

 but if you say so! 
We analyzed  and decided to try something lighter.  So we added a paperclip and it still didn't want to do what we wanted it to. Our tiny Volkswagen decided to slam into the nearest wall veering to the left, right off course.
*FRUSTRATING*, but like I said, this is how I can empathize with my students. Things don't always go the way we want them to. I think overall we decided that based on the evidence our car was going so fast it just lost control, that is my interpretation  (SEP cuatro).
We did some measurement and division. I count that as using Science and Engineering Practice numero cinco, using mathematics and computational thinking. Finally we communicated our findings with our classmates. This goes with Science and Engineering Practice numero ocho, obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. 

Science and Engineering Practices:

1. Asking questions (science) and defining problems (engineering)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (science) and designing solutions (engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
   
   
   As is clear by the blue highlighted points above we didn't necessarily hit every single SEP (Science and Engineering Practice) but 5/8 isn't so bad. I guess we could have started an argument from our evidence, or lack thereof, but there was really no time for all of that.
   
   
   Next we get to read two appendixes.. one is 5 pages, the other is 33. I have a field trip to the Imagine U museum with my little, swim lessons and of course some of this, leg day.
   
   
   
   
   
   But the very best part of tomorrow is that I get to finally see this guy.
   
   
   
   I've missed him.